LifeLoveDeath
by DiscoUnicorn
Summary: A story about two couples from Basilisk. Each couple has their own chapter. [TenzenxOc] [HotarubixYashamaru]
1. Tenzen and Kayomu

I don't own anything related to the Basilisk series. Some of the characters are mine, along with the plot. It's a wonderful series (on IFC every Friday night at 10 pm central). Tenzen is my favorite character, so his story is first.

When the rare occasion rose for their clan to have a meeting, people tried to arrive early to the large building near the center of the land. It was a two-story place with stairs inside, but it was mostly open space. There were three doors: two were exits and the other was to open a closet where they could put their cloaks. The elders sat at the front of the room in a circle. They were separated from the rest of the people by a gate made from thick, rich wood. People, most of the time according to rank, sat outside of the gate on polished floors. The second floor was a large block that completely circled the lower floor. There was a large opening in the center of the floor, but one came up by the stairs to the left side. The only things present on the second floor, aside from sunlight, were mats. The second floor is where regular people in the clan sat; Children, regardless of their heritage, also sat on the second floor.

The elders were considered the wise people of the clan because they had lived longer and experienced more than the ones below them. They could strategically plot attacks and defenses with knowledge from previous wars. The old ones knew how to look into the eyes and see if a person was trying to deceive them. The elders ranked according to age, and to be within the family of an elder gave you some power. Most of the elders were akin to the prince and his family. The royal people rarely fought in wars, but their families were almost always in front of the line. They did this as proof that their blood was the strongest in the clan. Who could argue with the prince? He was a deadly sword wielding ninja with the ability to kill with a single glance. That ability was passed along the blood of the royal family; it was like inheriting the color of your parents' hair.

Bushes in the land rarely grew without needles on the end of their leaves. A girl stood in front of the congregating hall with her hands pressed together in front of her. Her long black hair covered her face as she leaned forward as if whispering prayers to the air. Black eyes watched her curiously from the bush feet away. She looked up suddenly, her aqua eyes scanning the trees and bushes for nothing in particular; she was pretty sure someone was watching her. Her feet moved towards the door hesitantly. She turned quickly as leaves rustled, but she could not scream because a cold hand clamped down over her mouth. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as her assaulter carried her away into the woods.

He let go of her the moment they were close enough to the lake so she only had one way to run if she tried. He smirked at her before crossing his arms over chest. She rolled her eyes dismissively and prayed that her father did not notice she wasn't at the meeting. Why would he pull such a silly stunt? She turned towards the water to hide the anger brewing in her eyes.

"Same as always." He stood away from her with that knowing smirk on his face. Maybe she was tired of playing around with him. He walked up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "Eh, Kayomu?" His voice was soft in his ear, but it was the warmth of his breath that made her stomach flutter. His lips brushed hear earlobe before pressing gently into her neck. He inhaled deeply the sweet scent of the forest that she loved so much. Was it normal for a woman to smell so thickly of trees and fresh dirt? His hands slowly rose from her waist so that they clamped down on her breasts. He took her quick intake of breath as a sign to go on. His hands slid into her kimono.

"Why do you think I wear a white kimono, Tenzen-sama?" The woman asked patiently.

He pressed another kiss against her neck. With his lips still against her skin, he muttered, "Because your father tells you too."

"Do you know why?" She asked in a thick voice. Her heart was going to explode in her chest if he did not stop.

His grip on her breasts tightened as he ran his tongue down the length of her neck. He loved the softness of her brown skin. "Tell me."

"Because I am to remain pure until I am married. P-please stop." She trembled when his fingers brushed her nipples. She stumbled away from him, but not before he was in front of her again. He pressed her against the nearest tree with that gleam in his eyes that he always got when he wanted to hurt or kill something. Her breaths came to her in short gasps as he pressed his lower body against hers. Her legs were pushed together tightly, denying him entry. His hand opened the front of her kimono so that it could gently brush her thigh. She blushed heavily before turning away from him. He lifted her leg with his hand still on her thigh. Their lips met in a long hard kiss that stole her breath. Her thoughts of protest turned into ideas of swimming in warm lakes during the summer. A low moan escaped her throat at the feel of him pressed against her so closely. Suddenly, she shoved him away angrily. With haste, she closed her white kimono and flattened her hair again. She bowed to him slightly. "My apologies, Tenzen-sama. My father will see you killed if you r-ruined…me." Her beautiful eyes lingered on the surprised expression he wore; she ran away from him.

She made it back to the front of the building just as the meeting let out. Her eyes scanned the crowd for a face she knew to be in her family, but she could not find one. She heaved a heavy sigh before sitting on the highest step with her fists under her chin. Her father was probably still inside trying to sell her off to the highest bidder. A warm hand on her head pulled her attention away from gloomy thoughts and into the present. Her mother smiled down at her with warm brown eyes. She took her daughter's hand and led her away from the hall and towards their dwelling. Would she…could she ever tell her mother about how deeply she felt for Tenzen-sama? Her mother would tell her that love was not important when going into a marriage. She had married Kayomu's father when she was only fifteen. Kayomu was near twenty years and so far been spared the hardships of marriage. It was her father who insisted she get married soon. Her brother was married, but his wife was sick most of the time. She lost three of their children during carrying them. Her father hoped she could at least give them grandchildren.

Kayomu hated sitting on the porch as her father met with men who could potentially be her husband. Her grandmother was the second oldest of the elders and their family was cousin to the royal family. They were what some would call nobles, being rich and thoroughly skilled with jintsu and the sword. She sat on the porch with her hands folded neatly on the lap of her white kimono. Her beautiful face wore a solemn expression as her eyes stared at a tree in the distance. She blushed at the sight of Tenzen approaching. He held a bunch of wild flowers and a strange expression on his face. His eyebrows came together in a frown as he stared at her sitting on the porch.

"Why are you out here?" He asked hesitantly. He gave her the flowers through an opening in the fence on the porch.

She pressed the flowers against her face with her eyes still on him. The smell was sweet and calming. Her eyes darted to the door of the house before she said, "Donijodo of the Kaiyoga family is offering for my hand." The smile on her face in response to his expression could not be hidden. Her fingers tightened around the flowers in her hand.

"What do you say?" He asked in a quiet voice.

Her eyes shined when her laughter died and all she could think of was how much she cared for him. Her voice was in a whisper when she replied. "I say no."

"He is a great warrior." The words were made in a matter of fact statement. He wanted so badly to touch the softness of her face.

"So are you." She replied hastily. Her eyes blinked at him expectantly.

He pressed his lips together tightly. How could he explain to her that he lived only to protect the clan, most importantly the royal family? Did she even understand that he was first cousin to the prince? His parents would never allow him to marry when his brother was married already with three children. There was no need for him to step foot outside the battling circle just to stay at home with a woman and make children. He was ten years older than her, but what did that matter? Couldn't he at least know what happiness was once in his miserable life?

"Tenzen-sama? I…I--" She stood hastily when the door to their house slid open.

Her father, a tall man with long black hair and eyes the color of her own shook Donijodo's hands happily. "We will talk again tomorrow."

Donijodo was a few inches shorter than her father, but still tall. His straight black hair was in a high ponytail that reached the middle of his back. His eyes were the color of the night sky. He bowed to her lowly. "I am honored to share with you tomor--" He stared blankly at the flowers clasped in the girl's hands. His dark blue eyes darted to the man standing in front of the house glaring at him. Never would he engage Tenzen in a fight, but he would not give up Kayomu so easily. He wanted her; she was basically his after all the negotiating he'd done with her father. A small smile spread on his face. He'd finally done something no other man could; he stole Tenzen's most prized treasure right from beneath his nose. "I will see you two tomorrow."

Kayomu bowed so that her forehead rested on the back of her hand. "Thank you, Donijodo-san." She watched as Donijodo walked down the steps and towards the house he stayed in with his mother. Her eyes affixed themselves to the gaze Tenzen had on her. The beating of her heart raced dangerously as she imagined the things he'd done to her just hours earlier.

"Tenzen, is there something you want?" Kayaduuru asked the question with a bit of annoyance in his voice.

"Only to see my friend Kayomu-chan. Thank you, sir." He could not hide the bitterness of his last words, but he walked away before the older man could respond.

* * *

"Do you walk through the forest alone often?" A gentle masculine voice asked in the distance.

Kayomu turned to her left. She lowered her eyes at the sight of her betrothed walking towards her with flowers in hand. Her feet continued to move towards the familiar place between the trees. Her eyes moved from his face to a bird fluttering above him. She wrapped her arms around her waist and slowly moved further away from him. Her feet made no sound as she jumped into the air so that she say on the second lowest branch in a large oak tree. Her eyes were glued to his handsome face. "Why do you follow me?"

He shrugged. "In two moons, you will be mine. I like to make sure you don't come to any harm."

Her lips stretched into a crude smile. "If anyone comes into harm here, it will be you. I know these lands the way I know the feel of my own hands." She jumped to the ground and hesitated upon taking the flowers he offered her.

"Walk with me." He held his hand out to her, but she smiled at him and walked beside him in silence with the flowers in her left hand. He took this lightly; obviously, she was still getting over the shock of being married to someone she hardly knew.

He told her about his parents. His father had been killed in a surprise attack by the Odo clan. His mother was the one who took care of him since he was a child. She was a gentle woman, but trained him to be a strong fighter. He almost sighed in annoyance when he saw that none of what he said to her relieved the tension in her shoulders.

She looked up suddenly with a small smile, but she quickly forced a blank expression when she saw him watching her. He followed her gaze to find Tenzen standing in the clearing with his sword in hand and a black cloth covering his eyes. She dropped to her knees gently before sitting down on the grass.

The jealousy that rose in him could not be helped. He grabbed her arm harshly, yanking her to her feet. His hand clamped over her mouth just as she screamed. He pulled her behind a tree. His grip on her arm tightened until she screamed against his hand. "You are mine. If I ever see you look at him like that again, I will kill you." He shoved her away before stalking off.

Her face buried in the grass as she realized just what type of man her father had chained her to. Her fingers dug into the dirt angrily as she watched him leave. She scrambled behind the tree again when she heard someone approaching. With her face covered by her hands, she remained behind the tree until it was dark out. She preferred sitting in the forest in the dark. There was only one person who could find her in the forest when night fell. She stood and walked towards a cave that stood hidden by jagged rocks. Her feet skillfully avoided sharp protrusions and weak points as she slipped inside. She gasped when she found him sitting there with a torch on the wall that led deeper inside.

His hand stretched out to her; she accepted it with a large smile. She did not tell him what happened between her and Donijodo for fear that Tenzen would kill the man if he saw him. Her head fell against the softness of white haori he wore over his kimono. His arm slipped around her waist, supplying her with warmth and security she felt she desperately needed. She wrapped her arms around him tightly. Her lips grazed the bone of his jaw before she kissed his neck. She buried her face in his clothes and relaxed against him with a heavy sigh. The soft breeze flowing into the cave made her shiver, but he tightened his hold around her waist. He gently draped his haori over her. They leaned back against the wall and fell into a deep sleep.

"Where have you been? Your father has been in an uproar since you went missing yesterday. We thought…" Her mother pressed her lips together tightly. Her eyes swam with tears for some moments; her right hand struck her daughter's cheek. She buried her face in her hands before going into her room.

Kayomu stood rooted in place in shock from what her mother had done. What exactly did they think she had done? The answer she would soon get. Her father barged into the room with a leather strap in his hand. The glare he directed towards her would have forced her into a weakened position if she was younger, but all she did was stare at him wide eyed. He grabbed her shoulder and threw her over the table. He lowered the back of her kimono to her waist. Kayomu stared at the scroll on the wall her grandmother had given them years earlier. The old woman had told the girl if ever she needed strength just looking at the scroll or remembering it would make her better. Kayomu's eyes closed gently and bit into her tongue just as the first hit stung her back. The sound of the leather soaring through the air made her heart race.

Twenty lashes later her father stood beside her with a less angry expression. She felt her mother's soft hands on her arms, but her father motioned the woman away. "Kayomu, you ruin yourself for selfish reasons."

"You ruin me."

The man grabbed her by the arm and yanked her towards him. A wave of nausea passed over her as she remembered the altercation she'd had with Donijodo the day before. "I do what is needed for this family. Hold your tongue or my lashes will not be as gentle. You will wear all of your clothes today, including that silver susoyoke you hate so much. Leave my sight."

Her mother soaked her wounds and bandaged them before forcing her into all the clothes she loathed so much. First, the almost transparent hadajuban, then the silver susoyoke followed by an ivory colored nagajuban, and finally her pearl colore kimono. Next came the datejime then the obi. Her socks were the same pearl as her kimono. Her mother chose her favorite sandals for her to wear. Flower patterns were stitched into the leather of the shoes. She dropped to the floor in an appropriate position so that her mother could comb her hair straigth before folding it and decorating it with shiny combs.

She did not bother to look at herself in the mirror her mother offered. The tight fitting underclothes itched her skin to no end, but she did not complain about this. She remained in her room staring at the flowers Tenzen had given her. Her head turned slightly so she could see her father standing in he door. They were having dinner with the Kaiyoga family. She nodded with remorse before turning her attention back to the bright flowers on her table.

Their house was overly large; almost bigger than Kayomu's own family's house. There were two floors with more than neight rooms. Many of the rooms were not in use. Donijodo's mother jokingly said she wanted to have a grandchild in each empty room. The color in Kayomu's face drained quickly, and that put her parents in an odd situation. Donijodo quickly recovered by explaining the drawings and scrolls on their walls. Kayomu stood behind her parent bored out of her mind. She followed them from room to room thinking about how nice it would be to have a rug on the floor in the central room. This house would be her home soon.

Just as he told her that day in the forest, he followed her at a distance he thought she would no notice his presence. Donijodo just could not understand the gifts that were given to Kayomu. The wind and trees told her in hush voices that he was following her. She made strict rules about avoiding Tenzen whenever she went out walking. Her heart could not bear for her to see him and not be able to touch im some way.

On one particular day, dangerously close to the day of her wedding, she noticed that he did not walk behind her. She kicked her shoes off and ran around in the grass with her hands raised to the sky in thanks. Her feet twirled and lept as she celebrated her freedom from a man she would soon not be able to escape. She slipped her shoes on quickly at the sound of a bird screeching in the distance. Her lips stretched into a wide smile as Tenze walked towards her with his hands clasped behind his back. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around his neck tightly.

"I have missed you. Days felt like months." She whispered into his ear gently.

His arms slowly wrapped around her waist before he allowed himself to press hid face into the softness of her long hair. "It is wonderful to have heaven in my arms again." He inhaled the sweet scent of her hair deeply.

Kayomu blushed deeply before pulling at his hand. He was hiding something from her behind his back. She pulled on his arm until he obliged to show her. It was a silver necklace with a silver flower hanging from it. He gently draped the necklace around her head so it rested on her shoulders. She slipped it into her kimono just as she leaned forward and gave him a hasty kiss. He pulled her back against him and kissed her again.His tongue gently forced its way into the warmth of her mouth. She moaned as he deepened their kiss and moved her further into the clearing. It was as if he carried her into his arms until they were surrounded by a clutter of trees.

They fell to the ground in deep contrast. Her kimono was white, but her skin was brown. His kimono was as black as darkness, but his skin was pale. His hands discarded her obi as he continued to kiss her. His fingers played along her skin until he pinched one of her hardened nipples. Her head fell back into the softness of the grass as his lips traced kisses down her neck and shoulder. He slowly ran his tongue over hardened nipple before taking it into his mouth. His fingers conitnued their trail down her stomach so that they were nestled warmly in the hair between her thighs. Slowly, he pushed one finger inside of her while his thumb gently rubbed the nub above it. His mouth left her nipples and covered hers as a orgasm washed over her. Her hips moved against his hand in desperate motions. She clutched to him tightly as he rested his face in her breasts.

"I wish I could have so much more," she whispered into his hair. Her fingers lifted a portion of it so she could press it against her nose and inhale the scent of fresh pine.

"I would not see you dead for such selfish reasons of mine." He looked into her eyes with a smile. Those eyes reminded him of the sea when it was calm. He pressed another kiss against her soft lips before pulling her to her feet. He fixed her clothes. "No need to have you getting beaten again."

Kayomu nodded. She wrapped her arms around him tightly to put off the moment she dreaded. When she left him this time, it would mean if they ever met again, she would be a married woman. Her throat tightened as he kissed her again. A small sound like a whimper escaped her when he stepped away. Her head still swam with images of what happened moments earlier. Why could she never recover from such events as quickly as he appeared to? A blush crept into her face as she thought about how he'd normally lift her into the air so that her legs could wrap around his waist. She held back a sob before running back into his arms again. His lips pressed into her forehead before he motioned for her to walk ahead of him.

No matter what a person wanted to do or thought was right or wrong, he did not publically shame his fame. Honor and respect meant everything. People died for honor; people that had become social outcasts longed for respect. There was no honor without respect and vice versa. Kayomu understood these things. She knew why she'd been born into the world. The only difference in all that would happen soon was that she would not be marrying the man of her dreams.

* * *

To say the wedding was anything short of spectacular would be an outright lie. Everyone in the village attended the event. It was held in the only temple they had. Although in older times the two people being married would have to abase themselves in front of the holy man, Kayomu and Donijodo had to sit before the man with their hands on their laps. It was very hard for Donijodo to concentrate one anything the old man said when Kayomu sat beside him with a stone cold face looking more beautiful than anything he had ever seen. Kayomu, on the other hand, kept her eyes glued to the creased face of the chanting man in front of them. Her mind hung on every word he said in fear that her thoughts might wander to someone who she didn't was present at the ceremony. She blushed when Donijodo smiled at her, happy she was wearing white face paint to hide the action. Her eyes turned to the wide smile the prince, sitting in the front row of the council, wore. Her eyes slowly moved over the people sitting beside him to the people on the row behind him. To someone looking at her from behind, it would appear her attention was on the holy man, but the three people closest to her on her left could see the girl paid the old man no mind. Her eyes widened in shock at the man sitting directly behind the prince glaring at her soon to be husband.

She inhaled slowly and turned her attention back to whatever the man had been saying before she'd bothered to look for Tenzen. A small flutter started in her stomach that let her know he was now watching her. After a glance at Donijodo, she boldly looked into the eyes of the man she wanted to be sitting beside her. The pain she saw on his face was nothing compared to what she could read in his eyes. Her heart tightened so that she gasped and locked her fingers into one another. She pressed her lips together to stop them from trembling, but she dared not move her hands when the first tear slid down her cheek. Tenzen closed his before looking down at whatever he held in his hands. The grip her fingers had on one another tightened as more tears slid down her cheek. She bit down on her lower lip and wrapped her arms around her waist in hopes that it would stop her from moving. A gasp escaped her throat; it drew the holy man's eyes and Donijodo's eyes to her face. She closed her eyes and leaned forward slightly, fighting tears she knew would be worse later. She cried. Her shoulder shook slightly, making it look as if she could have been sighing from impatience. Donijodo glared at her and reached for her hand. She did not try to move it when he took it into his own warm hand. Her eyes, looking even more like the sea, bore into his. With a shaky deep breath, she swallowed her tears and turned her attention back to the holy man.

Smiling had never been a problem to her before that day. She sat beside her new husband with her lips pressed into a tight line that almost looked like a grimace. They watched the people dancing and laughing. Kayomu dreaded the moment she would have to walk back to Donijodo's home. Her home. She looked down at her hands impatiently with an angry groan. Her life was cursed.

The house was polished from room to room with new rugs and decorations. Kayomu smiled at all of this, thinking perhaps it would not be so bad to live there after all. She followed her mother and Donijodo's mother's up the stairs in silence. It was painstakingly slow and pointless: the way they undressed her. She knew her mother wanted to tell her to be calm, but the woman kept her silence. Kayomu bowed so the woman could reach the combs in her hair. They slowly brushed the tangles away. Kayomu lay down on the sleeping mat with wide eyes. She stared at the ceiling with so many questions running through her mind she had to close her eyes just to push them all away. Her mother and Lady Kaiyoga disappeared from the room, which was barely lit with three incenses. Kayomu wanted to crawl from the room, but she remained in place.

Some times later, she really didn't know how long it had been because she'd taken a short nap, Donijodo arrived in the room. The first thing she noticed when he entered the room was the sudden increase in her breathing. Her heart thudded in her chest with fear. She glimpsed him turned towards the incense with his head lowered. Perhaps he had drunk too much sake and would not be able to consummate the marriage that night. She turned back to stare at the ceiling when he turned to her with clear eyes. He obviously didn't even touch the sake. Her eyes closed when she heard him undressing. She convinced herself that she wanted it to happen. He was the man she wanted to marry ever since she'd seen him standing in the middle of the river. Ever since he'd jumped in to save her without realizing who she was. That mad hadn't been Donijodo; it was Tenzen. Her body went rigid as he slid underneath the silk blanket beside her. He kissed her on the neck. It was a rather wet kiss. She frowned. Tenzen's kisses were not sloppy or wet.

"Look at me," he whispered into her hair. Her eyes fluttered open, but her gaze did not move from the ceiling. He moved so that he leaned over her, but she turned her head and kept her eyes glued to a scroll with a snake drawn on it. The slow inhalation took in caught in her throat as he pushed into her. Her eyes widened in surprise. She closed her eyes again to hide the tears threatening to break through. Why did he want to hurt her so badly? His hand wrapped around her neck tightly, forcing her eyes open and the tears down her cheek. He thrust into her violently. She would have screamed if she had any control over her vocals. Donijodo smiled. "You are mine now, Kayomu. See me. I am yours."

When he was done, she turned away from his smiling face. She wanted to kill him until there was nothing left of his body but dust. He watched her silently. Her body began to shake from her crying; he turned away from her with a look of disgust upon his face. He remained awake as long as he could hear her sobbing behind him. At some point he had to fight himself just so he would not shove her away from him. There was doubt someplace in his mind that he had done the right thing, but what was the right thing to him anyway? The last decision he'd made before his wedding was one that would change his and the clan's destiny. He sighed in relief when she finally calmed down. Yes, he would enjoy every decision he made in life whether it was good or bad.

* * *

The earth was beautiful during harvesting time. Kayomu sat beside her grandmother with a basket of cabbage in her lap and corn on her right. She clumsily removed the green jacket from the yellow corn. A smile always graced her face and she would press the corn against her nose before she dropped it in another basket. Her grandmother watched her with dancing eyes. The girl had grown up to be the daughter she always wanted, but she seemed so unhappy whenever she was not with her.

Utakido had never supported Kayomu marrying Donijodo. Her daughter had simply waved her away when the woman had voiced her concern. The old woman stared at he granddaughter with controlled emotions. "Kayo-chan, how has being married been? It has been many months."

The smile on the girl's face vanished. She glanced at the old woman before turning her attention back to the corn. "It is fine. Donijodo is very disappointed we don't have a child yet."

A smile graced the woman's face. "The body will not wield what it does not want to. I have not seen you in the forest since before your wedding. Well, the trees tell me so. They miss you."

"Donijodo does not allow me to go into the forest anymore. He worries…"

"For your safety?" The old woman touched the girl's shoulder. She sighed at the sorrow in the girl's gaze. "The earth is a part of you and you it. Don't let him keep you away from that which calls to you."

Kayomu smiled sadly. "Grandmother, you should not speak that way about marriage."

The old woman pushed her basket away and stood with a loud yawn. She patted the girl on the head gently. "When you are ready to grasp your destiny, you will do as you will. Remember that."

She jumped to her feet and stacked the baskets according to size before running after her grandmother with them clasped tightly in her arms. How could the old woman look at her and know what she felt and though? Her feet were silent as they walked across the porch to the door. Her grandmother never made a sound when she walked either; it was something she'd inherited from her mother, but Kayomu had inherited her gift from her grandmother because her mother hated the earth.

They sat in silence at the table drinking hot tea. Kayomu glanced at her grandmother several times during the entire ordeal. Her mother knocked at the door gently, but didn't wait for anyone to invite her in before she came inside. Her brown eyes, that always reminded Kayomu of the dirt, glared from her mother to her daughter. Her hands formed into fists that she rested on her hips.

"Kayomu, Donijodo returns from his trip some time ago. He was worried for you."

"I am with Utakido-dono." She lowered her eyes at the look her mother gave her.

"You husband come before everythi--"

"Not before Utakido-dono. Not before the crops." Kayomu looked at her mother. "I will see him when I am done with grandmother. Thank you for using your precious time to alert me of his arrival." She bowed lowly.

"You want tea?" Utakido asked. She couldn't help but smile at the growl her daughter gave her before storming out of the house. Her eyes darted to her granddaughter who had just exhaled deeply enough to rattle the teacups sitting on the table. "No one rules us, Kayomu. The earth is a free spirit."

Kayomu stood in the doorway leading to Donijodo's room. Her hands were clasped neatly on her lap as she watched him pace the floor angrily. Almost everything they owned had been either sold or moved. He told her they would be going someplace wonderful to spend the remainder of their life, but not for many more moons. She dropped to her knees in the doorway, but did not look away from him. He sat down where he stood.

"Where have you been?" He asked angrily.

"With Utakido-chan. I help her harvest. Don't you remember me helping her last time?"

Donijodo thought about the question for a moment before nodding. He sighed heavily and looked down at his hands. If he had known that implementing a plan so complex as that would take so long, he never would have agreed to it. His gaze fell from Kyomu's face to the box that sat beside him. His hand clamped down on it heavily; he slid it across the floor to her. She opened it slowly and gasped at the long golden chain glittering in her hands.

Perhaps you could wear it with the one you hide underneath your kimonos." He said sarcastically.

Kayomu dropped the necklace back into the box and slid it across the room towards him. "I cannot accept such a beautiful gift."

"You do not deny the necklace you wear then?"

"It is a gift from my grandmo--"

"Tenzen."

The color in her face drained away. She smiled at him. "If jealousy blinds your eyes so, then it will be from Tenzen-san."

His fist slammed onto the floor angrily. Kayomu did not move, neither did her gaze. Donijodo snatched her to her feet angrily. His grip on her arm tightened until she thought he would surely crush the bones underneath his hand. He threw her across the room so that she landed on the sleeping mat. "Take it off."

"W-what?"

"Take the kimono off. Only the kimono." He spat the words out at her. She hesitated. He appeared before her suddenly and snatched the kimono away. He lifted the necklace around her neck. He snatched the necklace away from her; the chain broke. "Your grandmother gave you a necklace with a silver rose on it?"

Her cheeks flared red. His hand collided with her right cheek. She widened her eyes in surprise. "Tenzen gave it to me."

The necklace fell to the floor when he lunged for her. His hands wrapped around her neck tightly until he had her pinned to the floor. He shook her violently. "When? When did he give it to you?"

"B-be…" Her voice was lost when he choked her harder. His grip loosened enough so that she could utter three words. "Before we married."

She made him crazy; he believed she knew this. He pressed his lips against hers. He laughed when she made a sound of protest, but his cold hands moved over her body skillfully. She twisted in an attempt to move from underneath him, but that moved her body closer to his. He lifted her thigh with a smirk and pressed into her. He whispered meaningless threats into her ear as he continued his assault upon her body.

Kayomu dressed quickly and made sure her hair was in place. Donijodo lay sleeping in the center of the room. It was very dark out, but her most of her sight came from what was around her anyway. She ran from the house towards the forest. She could feel the trees and wind calling to her. She ran until she met with the river again. After a staring into the water, she jumped in. Her hair came loose in the strong current thundering against her. Her large eyes dart from tree to tree. She smiled happily at the way they danced in welcoming her back. The water was cool against her skin. Her eyes glimpsed a shadow nearing. So, she lowered herself back into the water. Her eyes closed, and she could see what the land around her saw. She stood in the water again. Slowly, her lips stretched into a smile. She ran from the water and jumped into the arms of the man standing beside the water. He held her squeezed her against him tightly. She thought of what had happened with Donijodo two weeks earlier, but she knew he would never hurt her. Her arms wrapped around his neck tightly.

"Where have you been?" He asked softly.

"Confined to my house, but I have heard you were away." Her reply was brisk. He pulled away from her and kissed her. They smiled against one another's mouths. She buried her face in the front of his kimono. Her arms wrapped around his waist. "I missed you so much." She smiled at him. She walked away from him slightly before grabbing his wrist and pulling him into the water. The current grew strong enough to push them along the water. Kayomu relaxed in the warmth of Tenzen's arms. His kisses on her neck made her moan. She moved his hands into her kimono. The water shoved them onto the land where they were surrounded by tall grass. She kissed him hungrily; they fell together into the soft grass. His lips left her skin hot wherever they touched her. Someplace in her mind she was happy she'd finished her bleeding during the last moon days before. Maybe…just maybe she could understand what it felt like to want someone in this way. She gasped when he moved inside her so gently. He kissed her he moved. A pleasure she had not experienced since before her marriage built. She wrapped her legs around him tightly and whispered his name into his ear. He buried his face in her wet, messy hair.

She lay down beside a still sleeping Donijodo with a smile on her face; being with a man in that way did not always have to hurt. She hated him even more because he chose to hurt her when he could be gentler. She gazed at him with a dazed expression before turning back to the wall. She'd simply avoid him touching her and let Tenzen teach her exactly what love felt like.

* * *

"You must have gotten reacquainted with the earth. It does not weep for you anymore." Her grandmother said happily. She laughed when the girl nodded as she poured a clear liquid into a wooden brown bowl. "I haven't seen you in a long while."

"My apologies, Utakido-dono. My husband restricted me from leaving the house when he left again two weeks after he head returned."

"Has he returned yet?" Utakido asked hesitantly. She stared at her trembling granddaughter with concern.

"I have not seen him in two moons." She sat down in a chair reluctantly; the room danced before her eyes. It wasn't scary; she found the movement quite enjoyable.

"Are you ill?"

"Didn't you ask me that the last time I was here?"

"I don't suppose I did. What's wrong?" The old woman walked over to the girl and pressed her hand against her cheek.

"I'm fine, but the room seems to be spinning." Kayomu poured the cup of flour into the bowl with the liquid.

"Is there anything else wrong with you?" The old woman knew almost any sickness could cause the eyes to spin. She sat beside Kayomu and took the bowl from her gently so she could finish the bread. "Kayo-chan?"

Kayomu looked down at her hands; a blush crept into her cheeks. "I have not seen blood for two moons."

Utakido's hands stopped half motion into the dough. Her eyes widened in surprise at the words the girl had spoken. She sat down heavily with her mouth opening then closing again without being able to formulate speech. "Perhaps. Perhaps you are carrying a child. Have you eaten much?"

"I was so sick a few days ago. If I ate it came back up." Kayomu closed her eyes. When she opened them, Utakiido stood in front of her with a cup in her hand.

"This is for your spinning eyes." The old woman smiled as she sat down next to her granddaughter again. "Your husband will be very happy to know," she began. Kayomu gasped. The woman ignored her and continued, "that you have given him a child. Even better is your brother's wife finally gave him a son during the last moon. What a joyous occasion for them to grow together."

Kayomu drank the liquid in the cup with a frown on her face; it tasted disgusting. She put the cup on the table and rested her chin on her hand. Donijodo would not care if she gave him ten children. He would still feel as if he would never amount to what Tenzen was in her heart. She knew these things because he'd told her the day he left. Tenzen. A smile stretched over her face as her hand covered her flat stomach. The child she carried belonged to him, not Donijodo. How could she tell her grandmother this? How would Donijodo react to find her with a round stomach when she had bled days after the last time he'd joined with her. She sighed wearily.

Her feet felt light as she stood in her own kitchen with a bowl of rice on the table and fish cooking over the fire. She turned to see her husband walk into the house. Why did he always have to leave for two months and return for two weeks then leave again? She hoped he would not see her in the kitchen, but she knew he would find her because the smell of the food radiated throughout the house. A lump rose in her throat in response to the questioning gaze he gave her. His eyes roamed over her face, down her neck, down her torso, her thighs, her legs, and then to her feet. They moved back to her face.

"Are you ill?" He asked cautiously.

"No," she replied lazily. She placed the fish on the table beside the bowls of rice. "How long will you be here this time?"

"We're leaving when it becomes dark out."

"L-leaving?! For where?" She asked in surprise. Her heart raced with fear.

"Manjidani."

She gasped. "What have you done?"

"I have worked very hard to join the clan which my father descended from. You, my wife, will follow."

"This is my family. I will not leave them. You may be a traitor, but I will not turn on my own blood."

He slapped her. "You will do as I say. Continue to speak this way, and I will put you away once we get there for someone more… willing. I'm going to make sure everything is in order." He took a bowl of rice from the table before disappearing out the door.

Kayomu covered her mouth as food rose from her stomach. She leaned over a basket Donijodo's mother had sewn for them and let all the food pour from her mouth. She wiped her mouth with a cloth from the table. After drinking a cup of water, she sighed heavily. Her eyes slowly closed, and her mind moved so that she could see and feel what the trees saw. Tenzen walked through the forest at that moment with an expression of deep thought. Donijodo was on the other side of the forest talking to three men in a hushed voice. Her eyes flew open; she must tell Tenzen of Donijodo's plan. She pulled on her long sleeved black haori and ran out the house.

Tenzen had walked a considerable distance from where she'd seen him before departing her house. She ran straight to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Two days had passed since she'd last seen him in the forest. She frowned at the rigidity of his body and how he did not hug her back. Slowly, she stepped away from him with questioning eyes. He smiled and touched her cheek lovingly. Her head tilted so that he could touch more of her skin. She held his hand close to her chest.

"I came to tell you that Donijodo plans to take me away. We're going to Manjidani." Her eyes searched his cold gaze desperately. When he did not reply, she gripped his hands tighter. "Tenzen! Have you not heard--"

He wrapped his arms around her. The hug felt awkward and forced like the one Donijodo had given her the first time he left her. "Distance cannot separate us."

Kayomu relaxed in his arms and began to cry. She smiled as he kissed away her tears. "I have wonderful news." He hugged her closer to him. He smelled like horses and the river. Kayomu frowned at the new scent that clung to him. She looked him in the eyes hesitantly and said, "I will have a child."

Tenzen's arm around her shoulder tightened until she could not breathe. "What?"

"Tenzen-sama! You're hurting me."

He slowly loosened his grip on her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I am going to have a child."

"How could it be mine?"

Kayomu frowned. "Tenzen, are you well?"

He stared at her. "I'm fine. What were you saying?"

"Why are you acting so strangely? It is a child created from you and me. Us." Kayomu gaped at him stupidly. She could not read the expression on his face; he looked like he was angry enough to slaughter a village but filled with more sorrow than any person should ever be able to carry. Kayomu attempted to hug him, but he pushed her away gently. She watched him walk towards the nearest tree without glancing back at her. Dozens of possibilities for his strange behavior surfaced in her mind, but none of them seemed plausible. This was the man she loved! He had sworn his own love to her no less than two nights ago. She ran to him. He turned just as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Her eyes widened in surprise.

"How could a man want to have some sense of place in the world when the only person he loves despises him?"

Kayomu blinked at the face glaring down at her. "Doni…" Her gaze lowered until it was on the knife he'd shoved into her stomach. Her breath caught in her throat as she fell back. The fall seemed to take forever. She watched silently as her husband walked away from her. Her eyes widened and the tree closest to her tilted. A long branch shot out from the body of the tree. Donijodo jumped into the air and ran forward as fast as he could, taking care to dodge each branch that flew at him. He jumped on his horse and took off. Kayomu silently cursed herself; she felt so weak, and her heart had not been in wanting to kill him.

"Kayomu?" A soft voice whispered. He kneeled beside her, taking her bloody hand into his own. Hi lips pressed into the side of her head. "What? Who did this?"

Her lips trembled as she smiled. "Donijodo… Manjidani. We would have had such a beautiful child."

He held her against his chest. "What?"

Her lips had turned a plum color. "Our child." She smiled at him. "I love you."

He kissed her. When her grip on his kimono loosened, he pressed his face into her hair. He held her against him tightly and cursed life. A sharp branch from one of the trees shot out towards him, but he did not move. He wanted to die. The branch pierced him in the heart. He fell onto the ground with his head resting on Kayomu's chest.

A loud groan resounded in the air. Tenzen sat up and rubbed his chest slowly. He pressed the place where the branch had pierced him. Why wasn't he dead? He looked at Kayomu's peaceful face and began to cry. Even death was too good for him. He would dissolve all his emotions until he became an empty shell. That way, he could live out the remainder of his miserable life without want. He picked up his beautiful love and carried her towards the river. He stood in the freezing water with her pressed against her chest as if he would kill whoever dared to take her away. The water rose until it was to his elbows. Give the land back that which is its. He kissed her again and gently released her body into the water. He pressed his lips together angrily. Slowly, his anger melted into hatred, and that look of sorrow on his face turned into a sinister smile. He would make each of the Kouga pay.


	2. Hotarubi and Yashamaru

Hotarubi and Yashamaru

A/N: Later in this story, I begin to tell the story from each character's point of view. Line breaks will separate the two, but Hotarubi's story will be in _italics_.

Hotarubi liked to think the best things in life came in pretty wrapping and moved quickly. Her eyes had a knack for seeing beauty in all they came upon. She grew up with her parents, but they died when she was fifteen. She lived alone in their family's hut, occasionally welcoming visitors. The visitors were people who knew her parents and wanted to make sure the girl was still doing well. At first, Hotarubi welcomed their company, but after several years she'd grown tired of the people. They liked to watch her with her snakes and butterflies in silence. Hotarubi loved silence. Hotarubi loved nature. Most importantly, Hotarubi loved Yashamaru.

Yashamaru was raised by his uncle. His mother died giving birth to him; the Kouga killed his father during a sneak attack. Why did they have to worm about killing one another? Yashamaru simply enjoyed the thrill of killing the Kouga and running free through the forests. He liked the wind in his hair. He liked the feel of his heart as it raced when he was engaged in a fight with an unclear outcome. He liked spying on the pretty girl with the purple eyes and straight black hair. She had a knack for being surrounded by a swarm of butterflies. He liked those butterflies. He liked her purple eyes. He loved her.

The fire in the center of Ogen's room burned thickly so that it was warm and filled with a cinnamon scent. Hotarubi stood beside the door with a dull expression as Oboro talked about how wonderful the Kouga chieftain's grandson was. Hotarubi would rather much hear Ogen tell them about the wars during her time. The woman told the best stories she'd ever heard. Ogen could even recall when little Hotarubi was born. Hotarubi did not like to hear stories about her parents or her family before them. Oboro was Hotarubi's friend since she was very small. Why would Oboro want to talk about someone who was their sworn mortal enemy? Hotarubi glared at the girl's back before slipping out the door silently. She didn't have the patience or energy to deal with Oboro's weaknesses that day.

Yashamaru, clad always in his black ninja outfit with a sword on his back, stood in the middle of the village staring at a passing cloud. Hotarubi debated whether she should go ahead to her home or slip back into Ogen's house. She decided on the latter when Yashamaru's dark eyes landed on her. Her feet slowly moved backwards until she was against the door.

"Hey!" Yashamaru smiled widely at her. He blushed when she glared at him. She pressed her lips together and walked down the stairs with a new idea at mind. He stared at her awkwardly before laughing. "You tend to look peaceful. What has you so unsettled?"

Her lips parted in a gasp. Slowly, a blush crept into her cheeks. This was her first time actually talking to him and she could not force her mouth to properly form one word. Her heart fluttered when he laughed at the redness in her cheeks. "I am fine."

He stopped laughing when she walked past him, but he grabbed her hand. He dropped it when she turned to him with a glare. Ahhh. She had the most beautiful eyes he'd ever had the pleasure of seeing. He scratched his head gently. His hand lifted hers to his cheek. "Your skin is so soft."

Hotarubi stood frozen on the spot. The coldness of her eyes melted away until there was nothing left but shock. Another blush crept into her cheeks until she turned her head and gently took her hand from him. She tried to walk past him, but he stepped in front of her. "Move."

"I'm Yashamaru," he said with a large grin.

"I'm on my way home." She said softly. She bowed to him before making an attempt to sidestep him again. His grinned widened when he blocked her way. "What do you want?"

"Your name."

"Hotarubi."

"As beautiful as your eyes." Yashamaru blushed when the words left his mouth. What was he doing? He waved to her quickly before running away.

"Hotarubi! There you are. Ogen-dono is making bread. Come and join us." Oboro stood on the porch leading to their house. She smiled when Hotarubi turned and followed her inside.

Ogen sat at the table with her back to them. Her small shoulder roses and lowered with each movement of her hands. She flattened the bread quickly and rolled it again before twisting it until it looked like a long braid. Oboro washed her hands in the bowl on the table before placing the bread on the silver pan. Hotarubi watched in silence as she always did. They never offered for her to help them or asked her if she wanted to try; she was there to just watch and eat.

Later, they sat in silence around the fire with their legs folded underneath them and food on the plates in front of them. It was fish with bread and sake. Neither Hotarubi nor Oboro enjoyed the taste of sake, but both always shared the first cup with the old woman. They lifted their cups at once. Hotarubi held her breath and swallowed the horrible liquid quickly. She stuffed a piece of warm bread into her mouth; the sweetness of the bread was always got rid of the horrible taste the drink left behind. Oboro poured both of them water.

"I saw you speaking with Yashamaru." The old woman's voice trembled slightly, but her voice was quite deceiving when it came to her strength and skill.

"We just ran into one another." Hotarubi ate another piece of bread and avoided Oboro's shining gaze. What was she looking at?

"That is nice. You should be mindful of him. He is headstrong and enjoys the idea of fighting too much."

Hotarubi nodded absentmindedly, using the excuse for drinking water as a reason for her not replying. She kept her gaze on the fire until the awkward moment had passed again. Ogen began telling them about the first time she had fallen in love. Hotarubi had heard the story from Oboro, but she never paid Oboro much mind when it came to love stories. Her friend had the idea that everyone in love would live happily ever after. Hotarubi laughed at the idea. She settled back against the wall as Ogen quietly told them her story. When the old woman admitted it had in fact been Kouga Danjou she'd been in love with, Hotarubi's eyes flew open. Their chieftain had once been in love with their sworn enemy? She wanted to laugh; obviously, the woman made the story up as she went along.

The night air was cool against her face as she closed the door of Ogen's house. She quietly made her way down the steps and towards her own home. A sound behind her made her turn. She leapt into the air quickly and landed on the roof of someone's house. Her eyes scanned the grounds slowly. She ducked when a hand reached for her, but the arm wrapped around her waist and the other hand covered her mouth.

"Why are you so nervous?" A gentle voice whispered into her ear. The hand at her mouth lowered, but his other arm remained wrapped around her waist. "I've been waiting since you went back inside."

She turned around to find Yashamaru smiling at her. Her lips slowly stretched into a smile almost as wide as his. He had been waiting for her? She would have left Ogen's earlier if she had known. She turned away from him before jumping down. Her feet landed on the ground soundlessly. He landed beside her just as softly. She pressed her lips together to hide a smile as she walked away. He followed her at a safe distance, watching her move with his eyes. He jumped out of the way when her hand shot out of her kimono. A knife flew past his face and stuck into the post of the house behind him. Another knife flew at him. He smiled and flipped into the air. He followed her into the forest with a soft chuckle; the woman knew how to play.

People talked about how good she was with knives and how she kept things hidden in her kimono. He'd listened to people talk greatly about her, but he'd never once before that day heard her name uttered. He dodged another knife thrown at him and flipped onto the lower branch of the tree nearest him. He jumped from branch to branch until he slammed into something hard. His eyes widened in shock at the thick swarm of butterflies in front of him. He slipped on the branch, but swung himself to the next tree. Hotarubi was nowhere to be seen below. He blinked curiously as he stood staring at a swarm of butterflies in front of him. His feet moved back several steps when she appeared in front of him. Her foot flew towards him. He blocked and jumped down onto the ground. Was she trying to kill him? He ran ahead of her some yards, but turned again when he realized she was not behind him. His dark eyes scanned the area around him. A single pink butterfly fluttered in front of a large oak tree some feet away. His hands moved quickly so he threw a knife at the insect. A red stick appeared and blocked the knife, sending it into a nearby tree. Hotarubi appeared with a strange smile on her face.

She was a wonderful woman; he would easily admit that to her. He felt his blood running in his veins wildly as he ran towards her. His long black hair flew out behind him in the wind. She ducked his fist and blocked his knee with her fist. He played around with her at first, letting her land weak punches on him here and there. When he began fighting her harder, she began fighting him harder. Perhaps this girl could actually beat him. He landed a punch square in her shoulder; the sleeve of her kimono rose slightly. What he saw shocked him so he did not have time to react. The white snake struck out and bit him on the arm. Hotarubi stepped away from him with a glare. She brushed her cheek over the back of the snake before allowing her kimono to cover her arm again. Yashamaru stared at her wide-eyed. A snake in her kimono?

"Give me your arm." She lifted his arm and sucked at the wound. A sound escaped the back of her throat in response to the expression he offered her. She spit the poison out and tied a white cloth around his arm. "Were you trying to hurt me?"

"N-no! I thought we were playing." He said louder than he'd meant to. He still couldn't get the image of the snake from his mind.

"Udo seems to think you wanted to harm me."

The snake had a name. He smiled at her; was there still some poison in his system or were her eyes having a strange effect on him? He shook his head gently, but everything moved as it would normally. "Udo does not know me. I would not hurt you for the life of me."

Hotarubi smiled at him widely. She turned to walk away from him. "You fight well, Yashamaru." She whispered his name. Her feet carried her away from him. When she was sure she was far away from him, she broke into a run. Her butterflies appeared around her, lifting her into the air. She laughed to herself as they set her down in front of her house. She went inside and lit the fire in her room. Her eyes remained open, staring at a white place on the wall where she'd tried to paint something worth looking at. Instead, she'd just ended up with a strange shaped spot that Oboro laughed at whenever she visited. She rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling instead. Her thoughts drifted back to the last thing Yashamaru had said to her. She smiled at the way he'd gently touched her cheek during their fighting. He was probably faster than her, but he'd only wanted to spend time with her. She did not have bad thoughts about her parents or how they died. She did not have envious thoughts of Oboro. That night she had dreams of the handsome Yashamaru and how he was slowly breaking her.

It was several seasons later when Ogen was called away to Sunpu. A great meeting was held in the building at the center of the village. A dozen of the best fighters in the village sat around the fire with Ogen. Their eyes burned with surprise and resentment as she told them what the scroll she'd received said. She had to report to Sunpu with one of their best fighters in tow. There were a few gasps around the group, but no one really said anything of significance. Oboro sat with her head lowered and her large blue eyes staring at her fingers interlocking with one another. The old woman waited until the ruckus quieted down.

"Anyone want to volunteer?" Her voice held an edge of humor.

No one knew what would happen when they got to Sunpu. So, no one was in a great rush to raise his or her hand. Hotarubi sighed before raising her hand, but she was just as shocked to see Yashamaru's hand rise as well. She pressed her lips together in an angry fashion.

The old woman stared at bother of them blankly before glancing around the room again. The two strangest people in their village had raised their hands. "Fine, Hotarubi, you stay here with Oboro. Yashamaru we leave at dawn."

"Why did you do that?" Hotarubi asked angrily. Yashamaru lounged lazily against an old oak tree with a stick hanging from his mouth. Neither his expression nor pose changed as his eyes stared at her blankly. She groaned in frustration before flopping down beside him in the grass and putting her head on his chest. His warm hand rested on her cheek, massaging it slightly.

"What if they want us to come there so they can kill the person she brought as an example of what they will do if we don't agree to what they actually want?" He gazed down at her with a smile. "I would rather die than know you were killed for such a trivial reason. It's best if I go."

"Yasha--" His mouth covered hers in a deep kiss that took her breath away. She gasped for air when he kissed her on the forehead. "I don't need you."

A masculine smile spread over his handsome face. "Did you not whisper the opposite words into my ear last night while we lay on your floor?"

He pinned her hands to her side so she could not hide the deep blush or the large smile on her face. His lips grazed hers again before his tongue pushed into her mouth. She wrapped her arms around his neck tightly and laughed into his mouth when he tickled her. His hair fell into her face and smelled of fresh cut wood and soil. She buried her nose in the familiar scent. They lay on their backs staring into the sky at the passing clouds. The silence was enough for both of them to say their goodbyes just in case neither saw the other again. Hotarubi slid her smaller hand into his and squeezed; she would miss him. He turned to her with that smirk she'd grown to love. He kissed her again, but this time it was a slow and deliberate kiss as if to tell her he would see her again. She pulled on his hair hard and crawled onto his lap. He wrapped his arm around her and closed his eyes.

He left her standing in front of her favorite tree. He couldn't tell if it was the strange aura coming from old lady Ogen or the fact that he truly did want to see his love again that kept him from turning for one last glance at her. A wide smile crept onto his face as several bright pink butterflies surrounded him and the old woman. One of the butterflies landed in his upturned palm. He kissed it softly and released it back into the air; he had all belief that Hoturabi would receive the action as if he were standing beside her.

If her thoughts could become clouds or perhaps even the rain that fell on her face the day after he left, she thought she could send them further along the atmosphere until the clouds or rain ran into her lover and gave him her message: she missed him. Her eyes stared longingly at a scroll with a flower on it he'd drawn for her several moons earlier. He said her eyes reminded him of the sweet scent the flower gave off whenever he was close enough to smell it. Her heart had beat wildly in her chest whenever he talked to her in such a way that ruined her previous thoughts. She wanted the man she loved to return to her, or she would go mad. Her alternative was the sit in secret meetings listening to Tenzen-sama debate why old lady Ogen had been called to Sunpu. The strangest thing he said was similar to what Yashamaru had suggested; the rulers wanted to cleanse the world of their kind. Hotarubi listened intently, but could not keep her mind focused on the heated discussion. She worried if Yashamaru would return to her in the form he had left her in.

_The day was nothing compared to hot summer nights. She would lie awake staring out her window dressed in a thin lace chemise that she'd made for the sole purpose of Yashamaru seeing it. Luckily for him [and for her as he'd so proudly boast he'd seen it on several occasions before his departure. She wiped a tear from her cheek as she lay back down on her sleeping mat. She felt lonely for the three nights he'd been gone. How was she supposed to fall asleep without his warm arm wrapped around her waist? _

_The best thing to happen to her since first meeting the man she loved more than life itself was Tenzen's inviting her to come along with his group as they traveled in search of answers to the elders' summoning to Sunpu. She'd stared at him in a dazed fashion before agreeing. There would be no point in sitting alone in an empty house waiting for someone who might not return. _

_They tracked through the forest in silence. Hotarubi stopped beside a small cherry blossom tree and stretched out her arm. A small white snake slid along the tree and onto her arm so that it went inside her kimono. She smiled widely at the familiar feel of the snake gently wrapped around her upper arm. Her eyes gazed down at the small head that poked out at the neck of her kimono. After brushing her lips across the rough skin, she ushered the snake back into her kimono before running ahead to catch up with the rest of their group. Her violet eyes turned away from Tenzen's gaze when someone mentioned Yashamaru. Someplace in her heart, she knew he was alive someplace and waiting to return to her._

Yashamaru had never taken to liking the old woman walking in front of him. He climbed into the boat beside her in silence and hoped she would not attempt to make conversation with him. He knew from watching her during public meetings that she could tell stories like any old person he knew. What he wanted from her was for her to say they would not die without fighting for their lives in the process. He knew the moment her black eyes met his gaze that she had the same thoughts in mind. With his legs folded underneath him and his hair in a sloppy ponytail, he allowed himself to relax into the soft rocking of the boat. He saw a woman in a purple kimono beside the river getting water in a large bowl. He wanted to call out to her, but he realized when she looked at him with dull gray eyes that she was not his Hotarubi.

They were going to fight. Yashamaru could not ease the itching in his hands when the old man made the announcement. The best from Iga verses the best from Kouga. He remained sitting behind the old woman until she made a slight movement with her head. That smile. Hotarubi loved that smile, but he hated the smile that came to his face whenever he got ready to engage in battle. People in the village were afraid to approach him because it was the only smile he knew how to wear. So what if he looked maniacal? He took long strides towards the center of the battler square as to stretch his legs. His eyes scanned the man in front of him slowly. The soft pattering of his heart sped to a pace he'd seen Hotarubi dance to several times. He closed his eyes and thought of her as one of the officials began talking again. Personally, he thought the old men talked too much and tried too hard to get out of saying things they really meant. Violet eyes flashed in his mind vividly at the old man's last few words. He wondered: how would Hotarubi feel knowing her beloved died at the hands of a Kouga? He himself would be humiliated well into death. His eyes flashed opened at his opponent's first movement. With a flick of his hands, his Gokujou flew from underneath his attire.

He chuckled to himself at the smirk the old woman wore as he danced around the strange Kouga man. Brilliant. When the first shot of green liquid flew from the man's tongue and into his face, he did not know what it was. He realized soon after it was a harmless liquid that could trap the limbs together if spewed out in the correct way. His fingers tightened on the thin, invisible strings that shot from beneath his sleeves again. A rather loud chuckle escaped him as the strings wrapped around the man. He struggled, and Yashamaru pulled the weapon until blood trickled from the man's face. How much would his Hotarubi enjoy watching him kill someone from a clan they hated so perfectly?

_Hotarubi walked beside the men in silence as they talked about the old woman's arrival. They had been gone for days; it was only fitting they return soon. She listened with peaked ears and high hopes. They dived into a pile of bushes at the sound of an approaching cart. When the cart was close enough, they jumped out and ambushed the carriers. After the man refused to come out, Tenzen cut the top from the cart; it fell open._

_She did not like leaving friends behind during battles, but Tenzen had insisted he could handle the man on his own. Hotarubi and the three men with her ran into their own trouble when they came across a Kouga carrying a scroll. He made several wisecracks about them before dodging their attacks. She jumped back shakily as green liquid shot from his tongue at them. Her breathing came to her in shallow gasps at the thought that something so ugly and hideous could exist on such a beautiful Earth. Koshiro, Mino Nenki and Rousai were trapped within the web. She stared at them bewildered as the man crawled across the web and cracked about which one he would eat first. After noticing the glare in Nenki's eyes, she raised her hand and began her chant. "…tear apart his flesh and savor every bite." She smiled widely when bright pink butterflies surrounded the enemy._

"_Now, throw Koshiro's blades." Nenki shouted._

_She threw the blade, andt it hit the enemy in the forehead. The three men freed themselves, but before they could get the scroll from the dying man, he threw it into the distance. The Kouga they had left Tenzen-sama to kill caught it and slithered away into the darkness. Hotarubi watched the three men chase the Kouga ninja. She turned to the man lying on his back. Obviously, he had been in Sunpu with Ogen and Yashamaru if he had a scroll from the place._

"_Is the ninja still alive that traveled with Lady Ogen to Sunpu?" Her voice shook at the beginning of the question._

"_The one with the long hair? I killed him." His laughter sounded like a cackle._

_Hotarubi lifted her blade into the air and leaned into him. "What did you say?" His head remained turned away from her. He turned to her quickly and shot a thick goop of green liquid onto her face. She screamed and drove her knife into his chest several times. "Tell me!" She continued to stab him until her heart wanted to burst inside her chest. A loud scream escaped her as she drove the knife into the corpse once again. He was not dead. She took a deep breath and stood with her knife still clasped in her fist. When Yashamaru died, she would know._

"_Is he dead then?" Tenzen asked as she approached the group from behind._

_She nodded solemnly as she came to a halt beside Nenki. Her eyes remained on the scroll in Tenzen's hand and the scroll in Koshiro's hand. They unrolled them and announced in hushed voices what the rulers had decided. They were in fact at war with the Kouga. Each group had received a scroll with the opposing clan's best ten fighters' names written on it. Hotarubi gasped and tried to keep a straight face as Koshiro discarded the second scroll into the fire. A smile spread her face as Tenzen happily announced that they were going Kouga hunting. What a wonderful way to relieve the tension wrapping itself around her heart._

_When Tenzen told them they would first attack the Kouga village head on she did not question his decision. Upon agreeing to follow him, she had made him her leader in battle. If he led them to their untimely death, she would happily follow him if it meant ridding the world of some of the people who'd slaughtered their people years earlier. After watching a strange battle between Rousai and the wall, they became strangely aware that people surrounded them. Hotarubi jumped at the chance to fight. _

_The fight seemed pointless until the end of it when the people they'd been searching for all alone appeared before them. Obviously, they were on the scroll. Hotarubi gazed angrily at the group of people before them, but could not help but smile at the carnage they had caused before the idiots finally pulled their ninjas back. Her violet eyes blazed with hatred as a bald muscular man approached them. She raised her fingers into the air and began a chant that surrounded them by her beloved pink butterflies and transported them away from the village._

He was in a hurry to get back to the village so he could see Hotarubi. He'd eagerly given the scroll to Rousai when he asked for it. As long as he gave to someone in the village other than Oboro, he was sure something good would come from it. The girl had resigned herself into falling into a most disgusting state of love with the enemy's second in command. He clasped his hands behind his back as he flipped into the next tree. His feet landed squarely on the hard wood of the thick oak tree underneath him. His dark eyes scanned the area slowly as a sigh escaped him. It was so boring running around in trees sometimes he wanted to just kill himself. His mind floated back to the warmth he felt around himself whenever he was near Hoatarubi. The best warmth he'd ever felt overcame him the first time she lay underneath him with that crooked smile on her face. It was both of their first times; he actually thought he would die before any woman would let him touch her. He leaned back against the tree with his smile even wider than before. Luckily for him, Hotarubi was not just any woman. He jumped to the next tree happily so that he continued his way home.

_The village of Tsubakagre never seemed as welcoming as it was at that moment as Hotarubi slowly inhaled the sweet of her home's air. She briskly made her way to the forest with her snake hanging loosely on her shoulder. The animal slithered down her arm and onto the ground as the girl called forth her glowing pink butterflies. She silently questioned them about Yashamaru's whereabouts, but they were as unknowledgeable on the subject as she was. Her fingers reached out to nothing in particular as the butterflies cluttered around. Memories of she and Yashamaru flooded her thoughts._

Yashamaru came to a stunning halt at the sound of Tenzen's voice calling out to him. "Tenzen-sama, show yourself!" The only response he got was a question in regards the trip he and Ogen-sama had taken to Sunpu. Yashamru growled angrily. "Is the reason you can't show yourself to me is because you've moved on into the next world?!" Yashamaru closed his eyes in a brief moment of mock respect after the voice gave him a simple, "Yes." He laughed and told Tenzen-sama what had occurred while he and the old woman had been in Sunpu. A noise behind a large rock called his attention to it.

His nearly invisible strings he used for attack shot out of his shirt arms and wrapped around the large rock. The strong threads of hair began to cut into the rock, but he knew someone was there because they were attempting to hold his weapons at bay. He chuckled loudly and pulled tighter. The strings quickly came together, but a tight hand around his throat made him stop. His weapons shot back up the arm of his shirt. He gasped for air hungrily, but was denied. His eyes widened in horror as the hand at his throat tightened. He gasped at the sight of a bright pink butterfly fluttering into his vision. Was he imagining it?

Hotarubi glared angrily at the swarm of butterflies around her. Her heart pattered down to an unbearable pace as she wrapped her arms around her waist. She lowered her head and began to cry. Rain poured down on her thickly as she stood in the woods thinking on the death of the man she loved most in the world. He would never return to her. Never. She remained standing in that place for another day. She moved when she saw someone unrecognizable approaching the village. She threw a kunai at the person and glared angrily. When the man looked up at her, her heart soared. It was Yashamaru-dono. Her Yashamaru. She ran to him and wrapped her arms around him tightly. Her snake slithered from within her kimono and bit her lover on the finger. She snatched the annoying creature away and threw him into the closest tree. She hastily removed the poisoned from his finger and wrapped it with a piece of cloth. "You attacked me." He said hesitantly. Hotarubi laughed. "Your hair was longer before you left for Sunpu." Her eyes were filled with love and admiration for the man in front of her. She led him towards the village with her hand clasped in his. She could hardly think of things she wanted to say to him. How could she put into words the fear she'd felt when she had thought him dead? How could she tell him she loved him? "We caught a Kouga woman and brought her back here." They walked towards the empty storehouse where They found a naked Mino Nenki naked and the Kouga girl dead. Yashamarau kneeled beside the girl, but Nenki's teasing distracted Hotarubi with teasing that Yahsamaru met another girl along the way, which would explain his returning so late. Hotarubi pulled a hidden knife from her kimono and glared at Nenki. He raised his hands in protest that he was joking. 

They turned at the sound of approaching footsteps. Oboro stood in the door with Tenzen beside her and Akeginu at her back. Hotarubi gasped when Yashamaru fell against a stack of barrels as in intense pain. When he looked up, it was not her Yashamaru at all. It was a Kouga man. Before anyone could react, the man ran past them and into the forest. Hotarubi stared wide-eyed at the Kouga woman lying on the floor. She would kill the deceiving bastard that murdered the only person she ever loved in life.

When the chance came for her to fight the man that killed Yashamaru, she was hurt and too filled with grief to even pay attention to the fight. In an earlier altercation, the man had pierced her thigh with a knife. She had bound the wound with a piece of her shirt, but it still bled. That bleeding drained her of much of her energy. But she was determined to avenge her dead lover's death. They stood at a bridge outside of Manjidani. She ran towards him and flipped away just as he made an attempt to hit her. She raised her hands towards her face with them in formation for a spell, but she had begun chanting and did not notice that he had taken her knife. He cut off both her arms. She fell to the ground and pulled herself into a sitting position. It began to rain again. Her vision blurred, and she saw Yashamaru standing in front of her smiling with his hand extended towards her. "Y..Yashamaru-dono." She cried happily as she extended what remained of her arms in an attempt to hug the figure in her vision. A sharp pain in her abdomen distracted her thought for a fraction of a second, but she didn't turn away from the man before her. She smiled as he embraced her tightly. Her body fell to the side and off the cliff. Half way down the long drop to the water, she burst into a swarm of bright pink butterflies. They fluttered into the air wildly and slowly began to disappear. Two lingered and fluttered around as if they dance with one another. Then, they too disappeared. Together.


End file.
